NFL DRAFT RUMORS! Picks, Trades, and Rumors for all 32 Teams – Players and Moves that Could Shape the 2024 NFL Draft. 

by Theo Gremminger · Featured

With less than two weeks until the NFL Draft, Round 1 is starting to come into focus. NFL Draft rumors are dropping every day. Some are just smoke, but some will come to fruition. What direction will all 32 teams go in during Round 1 and Early Round 2?

For a look at how I predict The First Round to play out, read my recent NFL Mock Draft NFL Mock Draft 1.0 – Round 1 of the NFL Draft with Trades (playerprofiler.com)

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Picks No. 1 – 10

  • The Draft starts at Pick No. 2 with The Washington Commanders. Will they draft Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye? Adam Schefter and other NFL Insiders are projecting the Commanders to select Daniels, but there is still some mystery about this pick.
  • The Patriots could go in multiple directions with pick No. 3. Will they select the best available player in Marvin Harrison Jr or a franchise QB like Drake Maye? They could also accumulate a package of picks by trading down with a team like the New York Giants or Minnesota Vikings. 
  • There is also the rumor that New England loves J.J. McCarthy. Would they be willing to select him at No. 3 overall? Could this be a smoke screen? 
  • The Arizona Cardinals are in an enviable position. They can add an elite WR or trade down with a QB needy team. Their recent top 30 visits (Laiatu Latu, Xavier Worthy) indicate they are open to all options. 

What Will Jim Harbaugh Do?

  • Jim Harbaugh knows how to play the game, and there will be multiple smoke screens to drum up trade up offers from teams like Tennessee who need an OT like Joe Alt. The Chargers could be getting calls from QB needy and WR needy teams as well. This pick is truly up in the air. 
  • The Giants have hosted top 30 Visits with Nabers, Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze. They also have hosted Maye and Daniels. The Giants plan seems fairly simple- draft a WR at 6 or move up for a QB. 
  • There are rumors that the Titans could be open for business as a team that could trade down, but there are also rumors that they want Joe Alt as their franchise LT. 
  • Atlanta Falcons GM Terry Fontenot says they are “wide open” and will draft an impact player whether they trade up or down. They have been linked to the drafts top DEs and CBs. 

Bears at No. 9

  • The Jets are a mystery team in the top 10. They have been heavily linked to Brock Bowers but could also trade back. If they trade back, look for them to go with a WR, address the interior of their offensive line, or draft a DE. 

Picks No. 11 – 20

  • Minnesota needing a QB is one of the most obvious needs in this draft. With two first round picks, they have the ammunition needed for a trade up. They also are the fail-safe if McCarthy slides. The dark horse pick would be Michael Penix Jr. 
  • Much like Minnesota, Denver is desperate at QB and could be in the running for Penix Jr. or Bo Nix. If they pass on QB, players such as Bowers or one of the drafts top CBs like Quinyon Mitchell will be in play. 
  • The latest rumor is that Las Vegas will pass on QB and go with a CB like Mitchell or Cooper DeJean. They also could select an offensive lineman. Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell are the top two QBs in Vegas. Could this be a smoke screen for a trade up to select a QB?
  • The Saints seem like a true wildcard at No. 14. They have been linked to multiple offensive linemen, WR Brian Thomas Jr., QB, and defenders like Turner. 

Brock Bowers to the Colts?

  • The Colts at No. 15 are another wildcard. Chris Ballard has an affinity for elite athleticism, and that could result with a pick on either side of the ball. CBs like Mitchell or Terrion Arnold, or WRs like Thomas Jr. or Worthy could all be in play. TE Brock Bowers has long been assumed to be a logical pick as well. 
  • Seattle could go with one of the drafts top edge rushers in Latu, Turner, or Verse. They also have been viewed as a dark horse candidate to draft a QB. They also could trade down. 
  • Jacksonville lost Calvin Ridley in free agency and could look to add another weapon at WR. They have been linked to a trade up for a player like Odunze or could stay put and select Worthy or Thomas. If the Jaguars choose to address the defensive side of the ball, they are most likely drafting a CB. 

Another Pass Catcher in Cincinnati?

  • Cincinnati has been linked to Bowers or one of the drafts many strong offensive linemen. But with Tee Higgins franchise tagged, and potentially playing his last season as a Bengal, a new rumor has emerged: WR. The Bengals could be in the mix for a player like Adonai Mitchell. 
  • The Rams have glaring needs on the defensive front and could go with a defensive lineman at No. 19. They also could go with a WR or CB. The wildcard pick would be a QB like Nix. With 36-year-old Matthew Stafford, LA could find their long-term answer here. 
  • The Steelers need a center, and Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson will be there for them at pick 20. Pittsburgh has also been widely assumed to address WR sometime in Round 2. CB will also be in play. 

Picks No. 21 -32

  • After losing Christian Wilkins, the Dolphins could address the interior of their defensive line. They could also go with an EDGE rusher. The other widely assumed area of need would be offensive line- with a player like JC Latham of Alabama. The wildcard selection would be WR. Despite the presence of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Miami could use a third weapon and players like Worthy, Thomas, and Mitchell could all be options. 
  • Philadelphia is in a great spot at Pick 22. In a draft where the majority of the picks in the first round are going to be players on the offensive side of the ball, the Eagles should be able to fill a need at CB with a promising talent like Nate Wiggins. Howie Roseman is always a candidate to trade down. Philly could also draft an OT that could eventually replace Lane Johnson. With two second round picks, the Eagles also have the ammo to trade up. 

Will the Cowboys Be Practical?

  • Dallas has issues on the offensive line. Powers-Johnson would be an excellent replacement for Tyler Biadasz (signed with Washington as a FA). Jordan Morgan, Troy Fautanu, and Latham could also be in play. The Cowboys have also been linked to Texas WRs Mitchell and Worthy. Dallas could also choose to trade down and add additional picks (they only have five right now total). 
  • Green Bay has been linked to DeJean. Last year, they selected Lukas Van Ness– another Iowa Hawkeye- and DeJean is another uber athletic ready to play option. The Packers could also go with a lineman like Graham Barton. Amarius Mims and Tyler Guyton have both been on top 30 Visits to Green Bay.
  • Tampa Bay has been linked to multiple pass rushers and pick No. 26 could be Chop Robinson or Darius Robinson. 
  • With the 27th pick, Arizona is most likely going with a CB, provided they address WR earlier in the draft. Players like Wiggins, Arnold, or Kool-Aid McKinstry will be options here. If they pass on CB, it most likely means the Cardinals traded down or addressed the OL.

Buffalo Wide Receiver?

  • Buffalo is in need of a WR after the Stefon Diggs trade, and this pick has been widely assumed to address that need. The Bills could also trade up – and potentially way up- to draft the player they want. If they stand pat, this could be the spot for Ladd McConkey or Mitchell. The Diggs trade gave Buffalo an extra second round pick for them to make an aggressive move up. 
  • The Lions could go with an edge rusher like Darius Robinson or Chop Robinson. They could also draft a CB. The wildcard pick here would be WR. 
  • Baltimore needs an OT, and a player like Guyton or Morgan could be in play. The Ravens could also trade down into Round 2 with a team looking to move back up into Round 1 for a WR or a QB that falls. 
  • The 49ers have 10 picks and could move up if they target a certain player. With Deebo Samuel getting older, and Brandon Aiyuk‘s future in doubt, San Francisco could draft a WR. They also could use a lineman like Barton or a CB like McKinstry. 

Round 1 Wide Receiver for KC?

  • Kansas City has not selected a WR in the first round in over 10 years, but they could go in that direction. DT could also be an option with a player like Byron Murphy. 

Round 2 Rumors

  • Carolina does not have a first-round pick but has two picks in the beginning of Round 2. They could stand pat and take a WR with one of these two picks, or trade up. The Panthers have also hosted top 30 visits from RBs Trey Benson and Jonathon Brooks, and they could be a dark horse candidate to select the draft’s top RB. Zack Fraizer could also be in play if Carolina wants to draft a center. 
  • Houston traded out of Round 1 with Minnesota. The Texans addressed their need for a WR in the trade for Diggs. With two Round 2 picks, Houston will use at least one on the defensive side of the ball. Safety, cornerback, and DL will all be options.

For more from Theo Gremminger, check out the following article – NFL Mock Draft 1.0 – Round 1 of the NFL Draft with Trades (playerprofiler.com)